We occasionally like to connect the dots around here. So today we’re showcasing two videos that feature Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock at work — both painting through glass. We start with Picasso at his atelier in Vallauris, France, painting abstractions on a glass pane while a camera rolls on the other side. This striking scene comes from Visite à Picasso, a 1950 film by Belgian filmmaker Paul Haesaerts, which can be viewed in its entirety online.

Next we shift geographies. We head from France to the United States. But the year pretty much remains the same. In 1950, Hans Namuth approached Jackson Pollock and asked the painter if he could photograph him working with his “drip” technique of painting. A photo shoot followed, but Namuth wasn’t satisfied that he had captured the essence of Pollock’s work. He wanted to capture Pollock in motion and in color. Above, you can watch Namuth’s second effort, a ten-minute film, simply called Jackson Pollock 51. We start you at the 5:48 mark, when Pollock starts putting his brush to glass….

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About Us

Open Culture editor Dan Colman scours the web for the best educational media. He finds the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & movies you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.